500 Days of Jane
by thecruzwif
Summary: "Unable are the loved to die.  For love is immortality."   Emily Dickinson  Severus finds new love and new hope... pre-Hogwarts, post fall of Voldemort.  -on hold until the end of NaNoWriMo-
1. Chapter 1

Day One

Severus rubbed his temples, pausing at the top of the great marble staircase. He was getting too old for this... this back and forth, pretending to be two people and burying his misery deep into his soul. It had been five years since she died; Albus kept pressuring him to move on. Yet he couldn't. It was small consolation that her son survived, because his survival was the sole purpose of Severus's double life. Wishing nothing more than to be able to end his pain, Severus wished for his own death not for the first time. He had been certain that after the fall of the Dark Lord, his dual life would be over. Now, though, he was pretending to be two different people in a different way. Instead of being the double agent between two competing factions, he had to pretend to be the calm, cool, and collected Hogwarts professor in public while on the inside, he was dying.

The creak of the gate alerted Severus's keen ears. Straightening, he took a moment to brush an errant thread from his sweeping black robes. For now, he must act as a teacher, educator, and ambassador of Hogwarts at the behest of Albus Dumbledore. That man had more fingers in more pies than anyone Severus had ever known. Slowly and with as much dignity as he could muster, Severus made his way out the great double doors and to the carriage that waited below.

The thestral snorted quietly, pawing at the ground. Severus pulled a small piece of raw meat he had brought just for the creature out of his pocket. Removing the wrappings, he held it out flat in the palm of his hand. The thestral snorted happily and quickly ate up the treat. A small smile stretched Severus's lips; he had always had a soft spot for the creatures. They were misunderstood, just like him.

Suddenly, Severus realized he was being watched. Turning sharply, he saw a slight young woman with very short black hair and probing, dark violet eyes watching him intently. He was slightly taken aback; for some reason he had been expecting some withered old hag. She watched the creature prance happily in its harness then turned those remarkable eyes upon Severus.

"Hello," she said steadily. "I am Jane Black, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Severus was a little surprised by her accent, having been informed by Dumbledore that she was an American. It wasn't the deep southern drawl he had expected, but there was definitely still a southern twang to it. She reached her hand out, and Severus shook it with his own. Her hand was warm and dry, her skin slightly tanned. She was dressed in Muggle attire, a pair of dark jeans and a blouse in the 1950s style paired with a pair of Chuck Taylor tennis shoes. She had a tiny butterfly pendant hanging from her neck. Severus drank all this in with one quick glance. There was something on her skin, barely visible under her blouse. Most likely a tattoo, which was an unusual accessory for a witch or wizard. He filed all these thought away and nodded to her.

"Welcome, Miss Black. I am Severus Snape, the Potions master."

"I thought I would be meeting Professor Dumbledore today," Jane asked poignantly, shifting her slight weight. She worried her full bottom lip with sharp, white teeth. Severus found himself staring at her lips for a moment too long.

"Unfortunately, the Headmaster has been called away on urgent business. He will return in time for the welcoming feast tonight. Until then, he has asked that I see to your care."

Jane nodded once, then turned to stare at the castle. Severus knew what she was feeling; it was the same thing he felt the first time he set foot in Hogwarts. Apprehension, fear, and a little excitement. When she turned back to him, Severus noted the look of determination on her face.

"So," Jane grinned. "Shall we find my office?"


	2. Chapter 2

Day 22

Sinking down into an overstuffed chair in the teachers' lounge, Severus closed his eyes for a moment's respite. It wasn't even a month into the school year, and he was already ready for the school year to be over. He had been feeling distracted and agitated, though he didn't know why. Normally, he was focused and calm, using his potion brewing to find stability in a world of chaos.

Easing his tense muscles and laying his head back over the chair, Severus let his thoughts wander. His brain lazily reminisced over the last couple of weeks: the new students gazing up at him fearfully; the returning students, some of them with their eyes glazing over and some of them feverishly trying to impress him; eating lunch with Albus and Minerva; Jane smiling at him over breakfast... Suddenly, his entire mind was flooded with images of Jane. They hadn't really spent much time together, but every time they passed each other in the hallway she had always made a point to greet him and ask him about his day.

Once his thoughts landed on Jane, his entire brain ran with it. He was bombarded with mental images of her bright smile, her oddly dark violet eyes, her glossy hair. She always had a smile and a cheerful greeting when they passed in the halls; they had lunch two to three times a week; and he even found himself seeking her company when he had a free moment, even though those moments were rare. Somehow, Severus had unconsciously memorized her schedule, including her personal routine: when she was having class, when she was running by the lake, even when she would be grading papers in her office. He blushed realizing how much time he spent thinking about her. Lily Evans was the love of his life, though he found he was having to remind himself of that.

As if conjured by his thoughts, Jane Black walked through the door of the teachers' lounge with Flitwick, both dressed in Muggle exercise clothes. Severus straightened up in his chair as the pair laughed and closed the door behind themselves. Jane glanced around the room and found Severus' face; her smile widened, crinkling the corners of her extraordinary eyes.

"Severus! What a surprise!" Jane's voice tinkled. She walked over to the counter and grabbed two glasses. She tapped her wand on the rim of one glass, and water poured from the tip. "Filius and I were just out for a run."

"I'm afraid I had a rather hard time keeping up!" Flitwick squeaked, taking the glass Jane offered him. "But Jane has convinced me that physical fitness is as important for magical people as it is for Muggles!"

Jane beamed at him and sipped her own glass of water.

"That seems to be a purely American ideal," Severus chided them with a small smile at Jane. She made a face in return.

"What would you know, Severus!" she retorted, deepening her accent into a Southern drawl. Sinking into the chair next to him, Jane tossed her towel at him. Severus flicked his wand quickly and the sweaty towel disappeared before it touched him.

Flitwick quickly glanced down at his watch.

"Oh dear! I didn't realize it was getting so late! I have a stack of essays to grade. See you tomorrow afternoon, Jane! Good night, Severus."

After the short wizard disappeared, Jane sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Merlin's beard, I'm tired," she moaned. "Trying to keep a slow enough pace for Filius to keep up was daunting."

Severus grinned cruelly. "You brought it on yourself. Most wizards do not care much about their physical fitness. It's very common and Muggle."

Jane's eyes shot open and flashed at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Catching her expression, Severus immediately regretted his slip.

"I merely meant that-"

"You mean that I am not a true witch because I don't mind getting my hands dirty and doing a little physical labor."

Standing, Jane strode out of the teachers' lounge, leaving a very confused Severus behind.


End file.
